Donald Wittman objects that a rational electorate would stop this perverse process cold.55 Rational voters would wonder how a politician raised the money to purchase airtime. If candidates get money solely by selling socially harmful favors to special interests, then advertising would backfire. The populace would reason: The more a politician spends on advertising, the more money he must have; the more money he has, the more illicit favors he must have sold. Lots of ads equal lots of corruption. If the public thought like this, no politician would advertise in the first place. Better not to
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